A low cost roll dispenser includes a housing with an interior and a feeding mechanism. The housing has an interior with a shape, which may be a ramp or series of ramps, that biases a roll of sheet material forward so that it is in constant contact with the shape and the feeding mechanism while the roll is stationary and while the roll is being unwound. The low cost roll dispenser may have a cover and an integrated handle that drives the feeding mechanism that attach to the housing without the use of any tools.
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9. A dispenser comprising:
a housing;
means for supporting a roll of material connected to said housing; and
a feed mechanism subassembly through which sheet material from a roll of material positioned in the housing may be dispensed, wherein the feed mechanism subassembly comprises at least one drive roller and one idle roller, wherein the drive roller and idle roller are pre-assembled for rotation in the feed mechanism subassembly and wherein said feed mechanism subassembly is mounted as a unit in the housing without using any tools.
12. A low cost roll dispenser comprising:
a housing comprising front and rear covers;
a feed mechanism through which sheet material is dispensed from a roll of material positioned in the housing, wherein the feed mechanism is snap fit into the housing;
a roll biasing device that biases a roll of material so that the roll is constantly in contact with the feed mechanism while the roll is stationary and while the roll is being unwound; and
a handle portion that is part of said front cover wherein actuation of the handle portion operates the feed mechanism to unwind a portion of material from the roll.
18. A dispenser comprising:
a housing comprising a front cover and a back cover;
a feed mechanism through which sheet material may be dispensed from a roll positioned in the housing, wherein the feed mechanism can be pre-assembled as a stand-alone cassette that can be attached to said housing without using any tools;
a series of supports connected to said housing but not said feed mechanism, wherein said supports bias a roll positioned in said housing so that the roll is in constant contact with both the feed mechanism and the supports while the roll is stationary and while the roll is being unwound;
a handle portion that is a part of said front cover, wherein actuation of the handle portion operates the feed mechanism.
1. A low cost material dispenser comprising:
a housing comprising a front cover and a rear cover, wherein the front cover and the rear cover cooperate to at least in part define an interior of the housing;
a feed mechanism subassembly separate from the front cover and the rear cover for unwinding material from a roll of material maintained in the interior of said housing, wherein the feed mechanism subassembly comprises at least a feed roller and an idle roller that are rotatably carried by the feed mechanism subassembly, and wherein the feed mechanism subassembly is secured as a unit to the housing; and
a ramp located in the interior of said housing for continuously biasing the roll of material against said feed mechanism such that the roll of material is in substantially constant contact with the feed mechanism while the roll is in the interior of said housing.
2. The dispenser of
3. The dispenser of
5. The dispenser of
6. The dispenser of
7. The dispenser of
8. The dispenser of
11. The dispenser of
13. The low cost roll dispenser of
15. The low cost roll dispenser of
16. The low cost roll dispenser of
17. The low cost roll dispenser of
19. The dispenser of
20. The dispenser of
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This invention relates generally to dispensers for dispensing sheet material. More particularly, this invention relates to a low cost roll dispenser for dispensing paper towels.
Dispensers for rolls of flexible sheet material, such as paper toweling, have been employed for a great many years. Dispensers are widely used in public lavatories to dispense paper toweling for users to dry their hands. Typically, a roll of sheet material is rotatably supported inside the dispenser cabinet. A user actuates a crank or lever that drives a feed mechanism for dispensing the sheet material. The feed mechanism typically includes a drive roller and an idle roller. The crank or lever interacts with the drive roller so that actuation of the crank or lever rotates the drive roller. Rotation of the drive roller acts to unwind the sheet material roll. The crank or lever is usually a separate mechanism from the housing of the roll dispenser.
Rolls have generally been supported inside the dispenser by a series of parts. Such parts include rollers, pulleys, hangars and the like. In addition to supporting and positioning the roll inside the dispenser, these parts were necessary to control the speed at which the roll unwound. These additional parts lead to increased expense in the manufacture and service of the dispenser.
Recently, the present inventors developed a concept for a roll supported by a ramp positioned inside the dispenser as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,351. The '351 Patent teaches a dispenser for a plurality of rolls as shown in
In addition, the structure of the '351 Patent permits the roll to move inside the dispenser without a contact point with either the ramp or the drive roller. This occurs when the roll reaches a small diameter and falls into the trough. In that position, the roll is able to move uncontrollably Such unfettered movement can lead to the roll bouncing around the inside of the dispenser. Bouncing of the roll can bunch the sheet material thereby jamming the feed mechanism. Such bouncing can also produce undesirable noise.
Accordingly, a need exists for a low cost roll dispenser that contains a minimal number of parts, thereby reducing costs associated with manufacturing and servicing of the dispenser. It would be desirable to have a roll dispenser that positions the roll so that the movement of the roll is constantly controlled without using a large number of parts.
The present invention provides for a roll dispenser that is cost-effective, positions the roll so that the movement of the roll is constantly controlled, is aesthetically pleasing, and which solves some of the problems of existing designs.
The invention generally comprises a roll dispenser that can accommodate both core and core-less rolls. The roll dispenser provides for a shaped biasing ramp inside the dispenser that acts to bias the roll forward so that it is in constant contact with both the ramp and the feeding mechanism. By biasing the roll forward, the roll maintains a degree of pressure on the feeding mechanism that is a function of the size of the roll.
In one embodiment, the invention also provides for a handle that is integrated into the cover of the dispenser.
In another embodiment, this invention provides for a dispenser that is easily assembled without using any tools.
In yet another embodiment, the feed mechanism is configured as a removable cassette that can be assembled without using any tools. Preferably, once assembled, the cassette can be fit into the housing of the dispenser without using any tools.
Illustrative embodiments of a low cost roll dispenser (identified generally as 30) in accordance with the present invention are shown in
The low cost roll dispenser 30 of the present invention holds a roll of dispensable material 82 inside a housing 31. As shown in
In one embodiment, shown in
The driver roller 54 and idle roller 56 form a portion of the feeding mechanism. In one embodiment shown in
In one embodiment, the opposite ends of the drive roller 54 are journalled in a suitable manner so that the axis 55 is fixed. As shown in
The opposite ends of the idler roller 56 are mounted so that the axis 57 is able to be moved towards and away from the axis 55 of the drive roller 54. The ends of the idler roller 56 are preferably spring biased to urge the idler roller 56 into engagement with the drive roller 54. As shown in
The ability of one of the rollers to move allows the pressure nip 59 to accommodate a variety of thicknesses of sheet material. Such ability allows the dispenser 30 to be easily used with core-less rolls. Core-less rolls have a center formed of tightly wound material. The center is commonly referred to as a “cigarette.” The cigarette will not unroll as does the outer portions of the roll. A section of sheet material may be visible when the core-less roll is almost completely dispensed from the low cost roll dispenser 30. A user may see this section and tug on it hoping to pull sheet material from a dispenser. Doing so causes the cigarette to contact the drive roller and the idle roller. The rollers of traditional dispensers do not have the available travel to accommodate passage of the cigarette. As such, the cigarette can become jammed in the rollers. The present invention provides for sufficient travel between the drive roller 54 and idler roller 56 so that the cigarette can be easily passed through the pressure nip 59 by actuation of the handle 38.
The present invention also provides for the use of a feed mechanism in the form of a cassette 51 that can be assembled without the use of any tools. In one embodiment, as shown in
Once assembled, the cassette 51 may be fit into the housing 31 without the use of any tools. Traditional dispensers require inserting the parts that comprise the feed mechanism into a chassis, which is then inserted into the housing. In one embodiment as shown in
The cassette 51 may also be easily removed from the housing with a screwdriver or other small hand tool. This makes it simple and inexpensive to replace the entire feed mechanism in the field, with little effort. Furthermore, this construction minimizes the parts and the overall portion of the dispenser 30 that would need to be replaced in the field. As such, maintenance and service costs are also reduced.
In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in
In one embodiment, as shown in
A pair of spring cover returns 52 are preferably attached to a rack gear 48 which is interlocked with the handle 38. Actuation of the handle 38 by the user forces the rack gear 48 downward. As shown in
As shown in
The dispenser 30 of the present invention does not include a hanger, roller, or pulley for supporting the roll 82 above the drive roller 54. Instead, the dispenser 30 supports the roll 82 so that the roll 82 is, at least in part, resting on the driver roller 54. The housing 31 has an interior ramp 74 with a shape that biases the roll forward onto the feeding mechanism so that the roll is in constant contact with both the rear housing 33 and the feed mechanism. The roll substantially maintains these contacts while the roll is stationary and while the roll is being unwound.
Once the roll 82 is placed inside the dispenser 30 of the present invention, the outer surface of the roll 82 is biased by gravity against the ramp and the outer surface of the drive roller 54. The result is that the roll 82 exerts a pressure on the drive roller 54 that varies in relation to the mass of the roll 82. By virtue of the shape of the ramp 74, the roll 82 is indexed or biased forward so that it applies a substantially constant pressure to the drive roller 54 yet minimizes the drag and force required to rotate the roll 82. Preferably, the applied pressure is not great enough to create excessive drag between the roll 82 and the driver roller 54 and to allow a low actuation force to dispense sheet material even when the roll 82 is large. Specifically, in one embodiment for use with 800 foot paper towel rolls as shown in
The shape of the ramp 74 also is configured to provide sufficient pressure to prevent the roll 82 from bouncing uncontrollably around the inside of the housing when the handle 38 is actuated. More particularly, the gravity-biased engagement of the roll 82 with the drive roller 54 and the shape prevents the roll 82 from freewheeling when the handle 38 is actuated. Preferably, as shown in
This design eliminates the need for the many parts normally required to support the roll in traditional roll dispensers. As a result, the costs of manufacturing, maintaining, and repairing the dispenser 30 of the present invention are reduced. In addition, this design allows for ease in refilling the dispenser 30 with rolls 82. There is no need to attach any parts to the roll 82 nor fit the roll 82 onto any supports or guides. Instead, the cover 36 is opened, the core removed, (if there is one) a new roll 82 placed on the ramp 74, the lead of the roll fed through the feeding mechanism 51, and the cover 36 is closed. As a result, the low cost roll dispenser 30 can accommodate and dispense sheet material from both core and core-less rolls without any modification or installation of additional parts.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the ramp 74 is formed by a series of support ridges provided inside the housing. In still another embodiment, the ramp is a single, solid support mounted inside the housing.
In a preferred embodiment, as shown in
Using a plurality of support ridges as shown in
In one preferred embodiment, of the present invention, the support ridges have a thickness of between about 1/16 and ¼ of an inch, most preferably ⅛ of an inch. these dimensions are preferable because such a thickness does not generally cut or otherwise mark the sheet material while the roll 82 is resting on the ramp 74 or is unwound.
As shown in
As shown in
In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, each support ridge of the ramp 74 has the following measurements: a height 98 preferably between 2.46 to 1.64 inches; most preferably 2.05 inches; a length 100 preferably between 5.772 to 3.848 inches, most preferably 4.81 inches; an angle 108 preferably between 71.4° to 105.6°, most preferably 88°; an angle 106 preferably between 110.4° and 73.6°, most preferably 92°; a curved slope 110 with a radius preferably between 0.15 and 0.10 inches, most preferably 0.125 inches; a curved slope 112 with a radius preferably between 0.6 and 0.4 inches, most preferably 0.50 inches; a curved slope 114 with a radius preferably between 0.3 and 0.2 inches, most preferably 0.250 inches; a combined length 116 preferably between 5.04 and 3.36 inches, most preferably 4.20 inches; a combined length 118 preferably between 2.976 and 1.984 inches, most preferably 2.480 inches; and a combined height 120 preferably between 0.4608 and 0.3054 inches, most preferably 0.384 inches.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the dispenser 30 is partially or completely formed of a transparent material. Employing a transparent material allows a service person to see the amount of sheet material remaining in the dispenser 30 without opening the cover 36.
From the foregoing description, it can be seen that the dispenser 30 provided by the invention is simply constructed. It has a minimum number of parts, especially moving parts. It can be made from inexpensive, but durable materials such as plastic by injection, blow, or roto molding or other conventional methods. It allows for easy replacement of the roll. It is aesthetically appealing. It can dispense lower tensile strength sheet material without tearing. It can dispense sheet material with or without a core equally well without modification or installation of additional parts.
The dispenser of the present invention may have other applications aside from use in paper towel rolls and paper toweling. Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what is perceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments set forth above. Rather, it is recognized that modifications may be made by one of skill in the art of the invention without departing from the spirit or intent of the invention and, therefore, the invention is to be taken as including all reasonable equivalents to the subject matter of the appended claims.
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